Halle Gregorich and the Stevens Point Area Senior High girls basketball team is ranked eighth in Division 1 in this week's Associated Press state basketball poll.(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

WAUSAU - The Columbus Catholic boys basketball team strengthened its hold on the top spot in Division 5 in the Associated Press state poll this week.

The Dons (16-2), the Cloverbelt Conference-East Division leaders, received seven first-place votes, three more than last week when the team jumped up a spot from No. 2 in the poll.

The Dons are one of three local or regional boys basketball teams ranked this week. Marathon (16-3) remained ninth in Division 4, and Rhinelander (16-2) dropped two spots to 10th in Division 2 after a week in which the Hodags fell to Merrill in a nonconference game.

Kaukauna and Appleton Xavier were both unanimous No. 1 picks in the state boys poll and top Divisions 2 and 3, respectively, with 10 first-place votes.

Oskhosh North (Division 1) and New Glarus (Division 4) both remained No. 1 as well.

Six local or regional girls teams were ranked in the state poll this week as well. Colby (18-2), which entered the poll last week, moved up two spots to eighth in Division 4. Marathon (19-1) remained fifth in Division 4.

Amherst (20-1) is the highest-ranked local girls team as the Falcons remained third in Division 3. Tri-County (19-1) moved down two spots to seventh in Division 5.

Stevens Point Area Senior High (19-2) moved up a spot to eighth in Division 1 after a week in which the Panthers handed D.C. Everest its first loss in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.

Rib Lake (16-3), the Marawood Conference-North Division champions, entered the poll for the first time. Rib Lake is ninth in Division 5 after a week in which it downed previously state-ranked Newman Catholic in a Marawood Conference game.

Laconia (Division 3) and Aquinas (Division 4) also remained at No. 1 in their respective divisions.

Here is The Associated Press state high school basketball poll for the week of Feb. 12, with first-place votes in parentheses, record, total points and last week’s ranking, as voted upon by a statewide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters: